Grant Hill on Jalen Rose comments: It was a sad and somewhat pathetic turn of events

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)Grant Hill displays a fist pump as a member of the Phoenix Suns

Former Duke star Grant Hill, who has known Fab Five ringleader Jalen Rose since they were 13, has finally responded to Rose's comments that "Duke only recruited black players who are Uncle Toms."

Hill has decided to get The Gray Lady involved, writing a nearly thousand-word response in the New York Times on March 16.

Hill writes in the letter that he "should have guessed there was something regrettable in the documentary
when I received a Twitter apology from Jalen before its premiere."

Much like a regular season college basketball game, Hill's response to Rose starts off at a steady pace before crescendoing in the final minutes with a litany of three-pointers; daggers meant to destroy the erroneous perception that people like Rose had of Duke basketball players.

March 16, New York Times: It was a sad and somewhat pathetic turn of events, therefore, to see
friends narrating this interesting documentary about their moment in
time and calling me a bitch and worse, calling all black players at Duke
“Uncle Toms” and, to some degree, disparaging my parents for their
education, work ethic and commitment to each other and to me. I should
have guessed there was something regrettable in the documentary when I
received a Twitter apology from Jalen before its premiere. I am aware
Jalen has gone to some length to explain his remarks about my family in
numerous interviews, so I believe he has some admiration for them.

It is insulting and ignorant to suggest that men like Johnny Dawkins
(coach at Stanford), Tommy Amaker (coach at Harvard), Billy King
(general manager of the Nets), Tony Lang (coach of the Mitsubishi
Diamond Dolphins in Japan), Thomas Hill (small-business owner in Texas),
Jeff Capel (former coach at Oklahoma and Virginia Commonwealth), Kenny
Blakeney (assistant coach at Harvard), Jay Williams (ESPN analyst),
Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies) and Chris Duhon (Orlando Magic) ever
sold out their race.

To hint that those who grew up in a household with a mother and father
are somehow less black than those who did not is beyond ridiculous. All
of us are extremely proud of the current Duke team, especially Nolan
Smith. He was raised by his mother, plays in memory of his late father
and carries himself with the pride and confidence that they instilled in
him.

In a statement made to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Rose clarified his comments saying they were only made to describe how he felt as a teenager and were never meant to be construed as his current opinion on Duke basketball players.

"I have great respect and appreciation for the Duke program,
its players and all they've achieved,'' Rose said in a statement. "As I said in the documentary, those thoughts were how I felt as a
teenager.''